Day 1 - Friday

On the Road Again

If someone told us there would be 599 days from when we stepped off an airplane returning from France to stepping on an airplane headed on our next vacation, we would have laughed at them. October 8, 2019 was the day we returned from the Côte d'Azur. The end of 2019, all of 2020, and almost half of 2021 we have been suspended in a no travel zone. Like many, we did cancel a trip back to Europe and instead hunkered down at home while trying to survive with the no travel blues. COVID, or as our grandson calls it “the germ”, truly changed our plans for our first year of retirement. Although the germ still lingers on, we decided it was time to venture out… At Last – On the Road Again! Destination: Cornville, Arizona!

Departing in the early hours of the morning before the sun had opened its eyes, we made it to Washington without traffic. We were blown away by the number of cars in the airport parking garage. Usually, the garage has an abundance of parking early on Friday mornings because of business travelers returning home Thursday night. However, this was to be an omen to what we would find at the check in counter. People were everywhere! Masks were on, but oh there were lots of folks. New procedures complicated the checking our bags, but all in all no big deal. Once at the gate, it only took a moment to realize we were going to be on a FULL flight.

The flight to Phoenix was indeed packed, but the aircraft was new, clean, and the upgraded inflight entertainment system was the bomb. Accessible USB port, WIFI intranet of AA inflight movies, and a very comfortable seat made the trip of cross country just fly by. (no pun intended). Janet read and I watched a movie and listened to John Prine. In no time, Arizona was visible out the window.

When we picked up our chariot for the week, the clerk highly recommended that we upgrade to a six-cylinder vehicle since we were planning to head north into the mountains. Of course, the price went up considerably, but as the week progressed, I was happy in the Toyota 4 Runner and the extra power it provided.

The drive from Phoenix to Cornville is a little over 100 miles straight up I-17. Janet had never been to this part of the world was in awe of the scenery and the wide-open spaces. When we reached the halfway point on drive north – hunger had kicked in big time! Arizona does not participate in the daylight savings time so our internal clock was saying it was 4 o’clock. What happened to lunch?

Stopping at a roadside eating establishment known for their pies was the closest thing on the horizon. There were a few small shops associated with the Rock Springs diner that we perused as we waited for a table. The food was great and portions humongous and now with full bellies, we were ready to continue to Cornville.

Arriving at Highlands Resort at Verde Ridge a couple hours before check in time, we decided to head to old town Cottonwood.

The main street of old town is lined with restaurants, bars, breweries, and wine tasting establishments. Still being stuffed from our lunch, we decided the last of the four old town choices sounded like a good destination to chill. Arizona Stronghold Winery would be our first Arizona wine experience. Friends had recommended their wines and were even kind enough to give us free tasting cards. It was when we opened the door of the wine bar that we realized the cards were still back in Virginia on the kitchen counter. We sampled their whites, toasted our friends for their thoughtfulness, and all-in-all were impressed with the quality of the wines. It was nice for the two of us to just to sit and relax together, mostly we talked about our priorities to see and do for the week with no sense of urgency.

The magic check-in hour had arrived so it was back to Cornville. The resort is part of the RCI collection and the amenities were very nice. The room was on the small side, but was comfortable and had everything we needed. We cooked many of our meals at the resort and used the grills often. The grounds were well kept and the pool and hot tub were inviting. In the late evening the Arizona highlands get chilly and more than once we watched the moon rise from the hot tub. Highlands Resort at Verde Ridge was in a great location and home base to explore the area around us.

We could not believe we were hungry again, so it was back to Cottonwood for a light dinner of salad and pizza. A day of travel and a change of time zones caused us to call it a day fairly early for Arizona time, but it was way past our Virginia bedtime.